Calls growing to send top Vancouver SAR team to Turkiye for earthquake relief
Calls growing to send top Vancouver SAR team to Turkiye for earthquake relief
Members of the Turkish-Canadian community are wondering why Vancouver’s top search and rescue team has yet to be deployed to Turkiye to assist with earthquake relief.
The Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team (HUSAR) – also known as Canada Task Force 1 – is one of five major teams in Canada trained to enter scenes of destruction.
Sina Kutluay, a member of the Turkish Canadian Society, says his group feels disheartened that the SAR team hasn’t been sent.
"Were are just very disappointed that Canada is responding so late,” he said. "I can guarantee you if this happened in Canada, Turkiye teams would be here as first responders … We send our rescue teams all over the world.”
A smaller SAR team of about 10 people from Burnaby left for Turkiye earlier this week, however the Vancouver unit needs the green light from Ottawa to head over.
“I’m sure if you asked any of our team members, we would love to be deployed," Vancouver Fire Chief Karen Fry told CTV News.
"It’s what we do. We jump at any opportunity to help where we can."
Fry says members are standing by, and gear that’s already at the airport can be shipped overseas if the federal government gives them the nod.
“The probability of us being deployed when there is already resources on the ground and not knowing the full context or ask is probably a little more challenging,” she said.
The team has had international deployments in the past, including one for Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005.
Joining the calls for more help is Turkish international student Kaan Tascioglu, who says family and friends are struggling back home.
"I spoke my friend. She lost her parents, mom and dad,” he said.
Tascioglu says his family is safe but has had their homes severely damaged. He says assistance is needed quick.
“We need help from other countries," he said. "Yes, they're helping, I know, but it's not enough. There's too many people waiting in the buildings."
CTV News has reached out to the federal government for comment, but has not received a response.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Calgary police say they've arrested a woman in connection with a stabbing at the Lions Park LRT station that stemmed from a fight between several people.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
Alberta's energy regulator has defended its finding that the province's largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there's no suggestion rules were flouted.
The Canadian Press has learned that Ontario has granted a three-month funding extension for doctors to provide care through virtual emergency departments.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
A new regulation that comes into effect Thursday in Quebec prohibits the feeding of white-tailed deer outside of hunting season, from Dec. 1 to Aug. 31, except on l'ile d'Anticosti.
Retired 93-year-old priest Arthur Masse has been acquitted of indecent assault following an investigation into sexual abuse allegations at the Fort Alexander Residential School in Manitoba more than 50 years ago.
A bylaw officer in Manitoba is facing fraud charges for allegedly keeping the surrender fees when people gave up their pets, according to the Brandon Police Service.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
A Saskatoon murder trial is being adjourned to allow police to follow-up on "significant information" that just came to the Crown prosecutor's attention Wednesday.
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
To help offset rising living expenses, the Government of Canada has introduced a one-time grocery rebate for low- and modest-income Canadians. Here is what we know about the rebate.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
After British Columbia singled out a Nova Scotia practitioner for writing thousands of Ozempic prescriptions to Americans through pharmacies in metro Vancouver, officials in Nova Scotia began looking into the matter.
Fire crews remain on scene of a blaze in east London. The call came in around 1:30 a.m. for a structure fire at 720 Cabell St. near Roberts Avenue and crews immediately started a defensive fight from outside the building.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
